Fears are growing for IPP prisoner Nicholas Bidar, who has been denied parole in a landmark public hearing over his indefinite jail term. Bidar, the first IPP prisoner to have his parole hearing held in public, was left devastated when the Parole Board panel refused to recommend his release or progression to open conditions earlier this year.
Now 36 years old, Bidar was given an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence with an eight-year minimum tariff for robberies and using a gun during his arrest at the age of 20 in 2008. Despite this, 16 years later, he remains held in a maximum-security Category A prison with no set release date.
To shed light on his situation, Bidar applied for a public parole hearing following new laws aiming to increase transparency in parole decisions. Ahead of his hearing in March, Bidar described the torment of his uncertain sentence, stating, “Every day feels like torture. I struggle daily to get through the day.”
In response to Bidar’s latest parole refusal, the Parole Board acknowledged that his Category A status was hindering his progress in prison and urgently called for a review. However, six months on, no such review has taken place. Concerns are mounting for Bidar, with his family stating that he feels he will never be released from HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire.
His family revealed that Bidar’s mental state has deteriorated significantly, with him expressing doubts about ever leaving prison. They highlighted the lack of progress in his categorisation and the impact of witnessing other inmates being released while he remains behind bars for a crime committed in his youth.
IPP sentences, introduced in 2005 and scrapped in 2012, have left over 2,700 prisoners with uncertain release dates, some detained for over a decade beyond their minimum tariffs. Pressure is mounting on the government to resentence these inmates, particularly as concerns about mental health and suicide rates among IPP prisoners continue to rise.
Bidar acknowledged his past wrongdoings and expressed remorse, emphasising that he has completed his sentence plan and undergone personal growth while in prison. His family fears that without hope of release, Bidar’s mental health will deteriorate further, and they support efforts for all remaining IPP prisoners to be resentenced.
The family also shed light on the harsh conditions within HMP Long Lartin, where Bidar spends the majority of his time in a cell with limited facilities. A recent water contamination issue further exacerbated his living conditions, causing distress and discomfort.
Bidar’s family pleaded for a second chance for him, highlighting the need for rehabilitation and support for those serving IPP sentences. The Ministry of Justice stated that decisions regarding prisoner categorisation are regularly reviewed, but Bidar’s family believes that his continued detention serves no purpose and only contributes to his mental health struggles.
As the debate surrounding IPP sentences and the treatment of long-term prisoners continues, the focus remains on individuals like Nicholas Bidar, whose future remains uncertain within the confines of the UK’s prison system.